Beautiful Goodbye
by TA Maxwell
Summary: (Songfic) The sad tale of Nuriko and Hotohori, a romance that was never meant to be.


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Beautiful Goodbye

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            All around the palace, there were whispers. Another woman for the harem would be arriving soon. The women always got talkative when the news arrived, partially because there would be another person to compete with for the emperor, and partially because the emperor would have to make an appearance just to greet the new woman. The women of the inner Seraglio began to gather around the square where most of the daily congregations occurred. 

            "There he is," a heart-struck voice whispered. Those around her looked in the direction she was gazing, and similar looks grazed their faces. The emperor, a man of pure beauty. Young, handsome, wise, he would be the perfect husband for any woman. Only one of them all would have him. 

            The woman went silent as Emperor Saihitei walked, almost glided, across the square, his advisors and prime minister behind him. That meant she would be there-

            Before another whisper could be said, the woman appeared in the entryway, two guards beside her. Most of the women had a pleased look on their face when they arrived, but this one looked…sad. The only sign of change in her face was when the emperor greeted her, taking her hand and helping her down the steps into the Seraglio. It was the traditional welcoming. The emperor said nothing, but "I hope you find yourself welcome." Then he turned and left, as he always had. The woman curtseyed before he turned. As the others watched him leave, the woman looked back towards the doors she had come in through.

            "No turning back now…Ryuuen is finally gone…From now on, I'm Kourin" she whispered. No one heard her.

_Fed up with my destiny  
And this place of no return   
Think I'll take another day   
And slowly watch it burn   
It doesn't really matter how the time goes by  
Cause I still remember you and I   
And that beautiful goodbye     _

            "Hotohori-sammaaaaa!" Nuriko called out joyfully. It was obvious he was tipsy. Tasuki wasn't even with him, yet they had left the palace together. With everyone else asleep, preparing for the trip they would depart on in a few days, Hotohori had snuck out of the palace in a hopeful attempt to find the two lost seishi. 

            "Nuriko, you have been drinking, haven't you?" his eyes narrowed as the feminine seishi stumbled into his arms, grinning like a drunkard.

            "Nooooopsh. Not a drop!" he laughed, swinging his hand around and barely missing his face. 

            "Where's Tasuki gotten to?" Hotohori groaned, lifting Nuriko's arm around his shoulder to support the drunk. 

            "Shtill drinkin. He'sh payin cause I gotsh no moneeeeeeyyy."

            Hotohori sighed. At least Nuriko was light. If he collapsed in the street, although it would be against his royal upbringing and dignity, he could carry the purple haired seishi. 

            "Hey, cheer up. He ain't got no money eithersh!" Nuriko laughed. "Mebbe we kin barrow shome from Tama-baby! Think he'd mind?" He grinned widely. Despite the strong smell of alcohol, Hotohori chuckled at the grin. 

            "It's unfortunate you're a man…" he whispered mostly to himself as the two walked down the silent street. "If I weren't the emperor…"

            "If you weren't emperor what?" Nuriko slurred. He was getting heavier on Hotohori's shoulder.

            "Nothing. Nothing at all."

            He expected an answer, but none came. Instead, the arm slipped off his shoulder as Nuriko collapsed into a deep sleep on the ground. _So much for royal dignity_, Hotohori thought as he lifted the small body over his shoulder and carried him back to the palace.

_We staggered through these empty streets   
Laughing arm in arm   
The night had made a mess of me   
Your confession kept me warm   
And I don't really miss you, I just need to know   
Do you ever think of you and I   
And that beautiful goodbye   _

On the boat, Nuriko watched as the figure of Hotohori slowly vanished into the horizon. He knew in his heart that the emperor's thoughts were on the brown haired girl they all called priestess. Even in the distance he could see the teddy bear Miaka had given him, clutched tight to his chest. He had yet to find the gift Nuriko left for him. A single water lily, beautiful and pure as he was, resting on his bed. 

"When this flower leaves you, Hotohori, so shall my feelings for you." That was the note Nuriko had left with the lily. He hoped he would take it to heart. 

_When I see you now   
I wonder how   
I could've watched you walk away   
If I let you down   
Please forgive me now   
For that beautiful goodbye  _

At the mountain top, Nuriko turned to face his opponent. The wolf-man was back again. Something about the way he stood said that this time, he was prepared. A shadow of fear coated Nuriko's heart and mind. He was alone for this battle. For Miaka, for her life with Tamahome, for Hotohori and his safety in Konan, for them all, Nuriko would fight this, and win.

In the palace, a maid timidly knocked on her Emperor's door. When there was no answer, she opened it. It was her day to straighten it, clean it of dust or anything else that would bring illness upon the emperor. The first thing she spied when she entered the room was a flower, long dead, on the table where the emperor kept his candles for the night. The maid tsked. If his Majesty enjoyed flowers, she would get him a fresh one. She picked up the dead flower, petals falling off with ease. Carrying it outside, she scattered the remains into the wind.

In that moment, when the petals of the flower left the hands of the maid, Ashitare's claws pierced Nuriko's back, the death wound of the first seishi.

_In these days of no regrets   
I keep mine to myself   
And all the things we never said   
I can say for someone else  
Cause nothing lasts forever, but we always try   
And I just can't help but wonder why   
We let it pass us by  _

            Papers fell from Hotohori's hands as a strange pain shot through his spine. The advisors stared in worry as he grabbed his arms as if cold. Although it was winter, it never got too cold in Konan. Hotohori felt as if his very soul had just frozen over.

            "Your Majesty?" the Prime Minister stuttered as others bent to pick up the fallen papers.

            "I…I must go see something…" Hotohori gasped for breath as he turned and ran out of the room, forgetting all duties as emperor of a country at the brink of war. His feet carried him to his room nearby. He threw open the door, eyes darting to the table where he left the flower Nuriko had left for him what seemed like months before. It was not there. Instead, a maid stood there, placing a new lily in the same spot. She gasped at his sudden entry, and humbled herself.

            "W-where is…the flower?" he whispered. 

            "Your majesty shouldn't be forced to keep a dead flower when new ones are to be found. I-I retrieved a new one for you."

            "Get out…" he whispered, staring in awe at the woman.

            "Your Majesty?"

            "Get out!!" This time he yelled. The maid gasped, curtseyed, and ran past him out the door. As the advisors arrived behind him, Hotohori fell to his knees and wept, fearing the news that arrived not long after via Chichiri. Nuriko…was dead.

_When I see you now   
I wonder how   
I could've watched you walk away   
If I let you down   
Please forgive me now   
For that beautiful goodbye _

_Baby what can I do  
All to get through to you  
And sometimes I cry  
It's a fool's lullaby  
Sometimes I cry  
It's just a fool's lullaby  
I'm tired inside _

            "Your Majesty…" a quiet, feminine voice whispered. The advisors parted as a woman walked through to Hotohori's side, laying a hand on his shoulder. Through tears, he glanced up. Slowly, the tears stopped as he stared at the woman.

            "Nuri-ko?" he whispered. The woman shook her head.

            "My name is Houki, your Majesty. Nuriko was a dear friend of mine. I felt her not long ago."

            "So what gives you the reason to leave the Inner Seraglio?!" an advisor scolded. The woman smiled at them. 

            "Nuriko told me before she left that should anything happen to her, I was to take her place by my emperor's side. I suppose you could call me a farewell gift."

Beautiful Goodbye 

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Whoo…I wanna make an AMV with this song and Nuriko. Heck, most of my songfics I wanna make an AMV, but since I dunno how, I stick with writing songfics. This has been Beautiful Goodbye, by Amanda Marshall. Thus, ain't mine.  


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